How to fix my Non-Planar problems

[Remoc]

I am currently going through a book to learn lightwave.
Essential Lightwave v9 ( Awesome book + DVD )

However I very often produce non-planar polygons in the modeler.
The book suggests solutions such as tripling or using subpatch.
But this causes more shading problems or rounds off the objects.

I made a simple test object, so I could try to fix the problem.
I have attached the object and a modeler screenshot.

Tips anyone?

PS. Sorry for the many questions I have posted recently, I am in a crazy
learning mode, the book is great, but you guys are like asking the teacher.
Thanks for any help you have given me already.

[meshpig]

Remoc

What's there to fix ?

-"Non planar" refers to faces which have points which don't add up to a level plane usually because they're part of a curved
section.

By tripling non-planar quads,( because the triangle can be nothing but a plane, since wherever you locate the points in space, it will always be planar), there are no non planar polygons.

It's not really a problem in the model you have displayed unless you want to deform it without sub-patches ( which also eliminate non planar geometry).

With say game characters which aren't sub-patched and need to be deformed. Generally it's not something to worry about.

m:)

[Carm3D]

If you don't want to use sub-patches, notice what I did to your C... You can twist it up and it won't get "shading errors." They're not really errors.. they're doing what you asked them to do.

Still, this is doing it the hard way.. I'd much rather use sub-patches. You just need to add extra segments along the edges to make them sharper.

[Initium Thoth]

I spent a few months getting hung up on non planars. In actuality as long as all your vertices are intended and polygons are not built on extraneous points (use the 'm' for merge function) then it will be somewhat common to have non-planars.

[Remoc]

Damn, I think I need to research subpatching.
Is this different from pressing TAB to subpatch?

In my attached examples

1. MY ORIGINAL (buffered) REMOC in impact font

2. I tripled it

3. I pressed TAB while set to SubD Type: subpatch

Result = CRAP

[Initium Thoth]

Remoc,
what is the problem with the initial image/model?
1]Is it how the polys render? 2]Is it how they display in modeler? 3]Or, is it the fact that you have a count of non-planars in your statistics window?

1)If you are addressing how the polys render, then address the particular surface by tripling it or adding the needed geometry to fix that specific poly or area.

2)If its how it displays in modeler that bothers you, you may just want to use the idea I will post at the bottom. Though your concern for this point may prevent further sane editing of the text.

3)If it is the fact that you have a count of non-planars in your stats window, the simple solution is to "get over it".

Addressing point 2 if you are desperate to have it look a bit better in display and very likely rendering too:

1)Create your text

2)Triple all surfaces that are greater than quads ">4"

3)go into points mode and select all points.

4)with your stats window open for reference, and all points selected, hit 'e'(extend) to increase multiple layers of collocated vertices ( I used at least 3 iterations to get a reasonably desirable effect). This is going to really boost your poly count :/

5)switch to poly mode and hit tab to subpatch.

note:
If you are unhappy with those results you can undo to step 3 and use 'e' more to sharpen the edges and less to smooth them.

caveat:
be carefule that you do not run merge 'm' on the text geometry if you use this method... then its back to step 3 for ya.


Hope this helps

:D

[Initium Thoth]

Still, this is doing it the hard way.. I'd much rather use sub-patches. You just need to add extra segments along the edges to make them sharper.

How did you add the geometry to the C prior to tripling it? I tried beveling the edges, beveling the front and back faces then bandsawing around the letter, and could not come up with the effect you uploaded.

[Remoc]

Sorry I was just under the impression non-planer = non-perfect.
And I am an anal perfectionist. ( um that sounds a bit wierd )

Imagine if the universe existed on one quad polygon.
Now imagine if that polygon was NON_PLANAR
Utter chaos...


Anyway.. When it comes down to it, it doesn't matter if the final render looks good. Thanks for your advice.

[Initium Thoth]

Sorry I was just under the impression non-planer = non-perfect.
And I am an anal perfectionist. ( um that sounds a bit wierd )

Imagine if the universe existed on one quad polygon.
Now imagine if that polygon was NON_PLANAR
Utter chaos...


Anyway.. When it comes down to it, it doesn't matter if the final render looks good. Thanks for your advice.


No sweat. I felt the same when I found out about them. :thumbsup: